


with the devil you know you're never alone

by Totoro (Ultron)



Category: Baccano!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-04-22 04:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14300679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultron/pseuds/Totoro
Summary: If someone'd told Rachel a month ago that she's be helping the Rail Tracer pick out a wedding dress for his not-yet-fiancee she'd have thought they were insane. Then again when wasn't anything that dealt with Claire Stanfield insane.





	1. breakfast, 1931

Cold.

That's the first thing that hits Rachel's mind when she wakes that morning. She groans, rolls over, tugs the covers back up over shoulders. Suddenly, she feels a breeze tickle her face and immediately jolts awake, springing up in her bed as fast as possible. From the wind, she expected her window to be open; what she didn't expect was the man sitting in it.

The Rail Tracer. The conductor. Claire Stanfield.

He's dressed in the same clothes he was wearing the night before at Alveare; she has to wonder where he even goes at night. The sun's making his blood-red hair glow and that grin on his face reminds her of an illustration she once saw of the Cheshire Cat. From the look of him, Rachel would think he'd have a laid-back air to him. Instead it's like the air around him has the sharpness to it.

She knows she has nothing to be afraid of yet there will always be a piece of her mind that associates him with that massacre on the train. A part of her will always know what he can be, what he is. She feels a shiver go up her back again and she knows it's not from the wind. She shakes it off and then frowns at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here?" She could also ask him how did he know where she lived, who told him, why did he think he was even allowed here, etc. All of those questions just seem worthless though since he's already sitting in front of her.

Claire laughs as he flips off the sill and then turns to shut the window. The question of how he even got up there crosses her mind, she lives on the 3rd floor after all, but watching how easily he moves and remembering how he hung from the bottom of the train she guesses it's not really a question anymore.

He looks around the room as he makes his way closer to her. "Man, this place isn't really homey, is it? Like a jail cell." Not that he would know what one of those was like though; he's too good at what he does to ever have to think about getting caught.

Rachel's face twists in frustration. "You really don't have any tact, do you?" Not that she's surprised. She remembers the night before when he mentioned how shocked he was that she looked like a girl or how she didn't have to worry that she was the girl he'd fallen in love with. If it was anyone but him, she'd have decked 'em.

"Any what?" he asks as he flops himself onto the end of the bed. He stretches across it like he owns the place, places his arms under his head, and stares up at the ceiling.

Rachel just rolls her eyes as she gets off the bed and heads over to her kitchen area. As she walks, she takes a quick survey of the room herself and reluctantly has to admit that he is right. Her apartment is just her bed, a nightstand with a radio and a picture of her and her parents, a round table that could maybe fit two plates, and one metal chair that has a leg an inch shorter than the others. No pictures on the wall, no decorations, nothing that makes it stand out any from any others in the building.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled some honey out of her cupboard. She has some biscuits left over from the morning before that she could eat it on. She considered offering him some but then shook her head. This wasn't some breakfast-with-your-best-friend situation. This was a trying-to-figure-out-what-a-known-assassin-wants-with-you-so-early-in-the-morning situation.

He didn't move from the bed. "I thought about your advice from last night, you know, getting her something she can wear."

"Uh-huh," began Rachel, as she set a biscuit on her plate. She looked at the other biscuits in her bread box and then at the plates in her cabinet. Her resolve wavered as she reached for one of each. She doesn't know why she cares to be nice to him. An image of him standing in front of her, drenched in blood, passes through her mind. The odd thing is the next image that passes through her mind is him the night before, that dopey smile on his face, that glint in his eyes as he discussed the woman he loved. He felt inhuman the first time. He felt human last night. Maybe she needs to treat him like something in the middle.

"Well, I think I found the perfect item."

She heads back to the bed, dropping his plate onto his stomach as she passes. She adjusts herself into a cross legged position at the top of her bed and watches as he sits up to enjoy his breakfast. His eyes light up like a little kid at the taste of the honey and it's that same look that revealed to her he was human. He has that same light in his eyes when he talks about the girl he's fallen in love with. "What is it?" she asks, between a mouthful of biscuit.

He gives her a huge grin, one that's so excited because whatever this item is he thinks it's the greatest idea possible. "A wedding dress!" he shouts, throwing his hands out in a big reveal.

Rachel just blinks at him, stunned. She knows he's crazy so she should honestly have expected something like this but still. "You want to give a woman you met a little over a month ago a wedding dress?" She shakes her head. "Oh, Claire..."

"Felix," he corrects her. He did the same thing multiple times the night before. Apparently, he's bought a new identity, an identity from another famous hitman, because Claire Stanfield is dead. She doesn't know why it's a big deal but she makes another mental note to remember his new name.

He finishes off the biscuit and and then shrugs. "Anyway, I proposed to her so..."

"Didn't you say she didn't exactly say yes?" Actually, if Rachel remembered correctly he said something about her possibly wanting to kill him.

Claire - no Felix - just waves that off. "She didn't exactly say no either. But if she has any doubts this gift should definitely make her say yes."

Rachel sighs. "When I told you to get her something wearable, I meant like a piece of jewelry or a scarf or something. A wedding dress might be a bit too forward."

"But I need to know if she wants to marry me," he begins. "If she wears the wedding dress then I'll know for sure she does." He falls back on the bed, closes his eyes, and smiles. "She's the most amazing woman I've ever met. I've got to marry her."

There's an almost desperate note in his voice, one that reminds Rachel just how in love with this woman he really is. It's amazing how one woman can make a monster like him so human. Odd as it sounds, Rachel kind of hopes she gets to meet her one day.

Rachel grabs their empty plates and then stands over him. He stares up at her, his brown eyes locked with her hazel ones. "Don't you think you should try being friends with her first? Give her time to fall as in love with you as you are with her?"

He looks like he's thinking on it a moment then gives her a smirk. "You're just trying to buy time to get me to fall in love with you, aren't you?"

"In your dreams," she says with an unamused expression. She'd try to give him a little swat to the head but she knows he'll just avoid it. So, she just turns and makes her way back to the kitchen to wash the plates.

This time he flips off the bed and follows her, taking a seat at her kitchen table. "You asked earlier why I was here."

Rachel nods. He continues. "Well, if I'm going to get her a dress I need to make sure it would fit right. From what I can tell, you're a tad shorter and maybe a little heavier but..."

Rachel knows where this is going and immediately shuts it down. "No."

This is clearly not the answer he was expecting but still he persists. "Please. I'll treat you to lunch again."

Rachel puts her hands on her hips when she turns to look at him. He's giving her a pleading look and Rachel swears she's going to have to get tougher around him. It's like he's a child wanting a toy and she's a mother who can't say no.

"I expect a nice bottle of liquor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a story exploring the relationship between Claire and Rachel so I thought I finally would. I thought that their interactions in the extra episodes as well as in the light novel were so interesting and I've always thought they'd have an interesting dynamic. I've not read Another Junk Railroad since it isn't translated but I've looked up information about it. I decided this was a good place to start exploring their dynamic. This might become a chapter fic or it might just be a two-shot.
> 
> Title comes from the song "The Devil You Know" by X Ambassadors 
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated!


	2. breakfast, 1961

Hot.

That's the first thought that hits Rachel as she slowly stirs awake. She's not sure what it is but she can feel the heat radiating right against her face. A pleasant aroma drifts through the air and Rachel can feel her mouth start to water. Coffee. Part of her mind is so excited at the thought of having the coffee that she almost forgets to wonder who's made it. The likely guess would be Carol as she's the only one who's got the key to all the locks on the door but she never got to work early enough to be the first person to brew coffee.

Suddenly, she feels a finger jab into her cheek. At that her head comes off the desk and her eyes flutter open as she looks around for the culprit.

He's standing beside her desk, wearing that same coat she's sure is over thirty years old now, a cup of coffee in his hand. Felix Walken.

Rachel should have known it'd be him. The only person with the ability to break all the locks on that door would be him. Honestly, she doesn't know why she doesn't just give him a key.

After all these years, he's already got the spare to her apartment and her car and her dad's old place so he might as well have one to her office.

"What're you doing here?" She lets out a yawn at the end of the sentence and can feel something scratching her cheek. Before she can touch it, he reaches over and plucks it off her face. It's an index card for one of her contacts at the railroad company.

He flips back and forth in his hand while letting out a whistle. "You've sure got a lot of high up connections, don't you Rach."

He holds it back out for her and finally gets a good look at her. "Geez, you look like shit."

Rachel frowns. Was he always so blunt or did it just come from thirty years of friendship? She feels like it's probably the former.

"You wouldn't look so great if you slept in your office either," she begins as she places the card back in her Rolodex. She then takes a swig from her cup of coffee. Freshly made and with the tiniest bit of milk, exactly as she likes it. She can feel it warming her whole body as it goes down. She'd thank him for making it but he also broke into the office so she feels that instead of thanking him and then berating him she'll just keep her mouth shut.

Felix isn't looking for a thank you anyway. He just takes a seat on the couch by her door, kicking his feet up on the table. "If you need me or Chane to starting walking you home..."

Rachel shakes her head. "Thanks but I'm fine. Honestly, I thought I'd been getting ready to leave. I must have just collapsed."

Felix raises an eyebrow at her from behind his coffee mug. She hates when he gives her that look. He'll blatantly tell her how bad she looks but he won't straight up tell her when he's concerned about her.

She takes another sip of coffee. "What?"

"Nothing," he says with a shrug. "It's just...you seem to be more tired than usual lately."

Rachel sighs as she runs her fingers through her unkempt hair. "Running this place is a lot of work especially since...since I've got to earn these people's respect."

Being the first female president of the Daily Days wasn't the easiest job in the world but it was Rachel's dream job. She could still remember the day that the former president told her he wanted her as his successor. The proud feeling that swelled in her chest when he told her he believed she was the best candidate because she knew how to retrieve information and would know the right way to handle all the information that she had. She felt like she'd finally proven herself as the proper information broker she'd sought to become.

The only problem with the job was that some of the former presidents contacts were not the friendliest to her. She'd thought having his blessing would be enough for these people but more of them were concerned with the fact she was a woman. One would think by 1961 things would've changed some but she guessed not.

In the moment she was dwelling on the thoughts of her job, Felix had gotten up and was standing in front of some pictures on her wall. "Who cares about those guys respect when you've got these guy's?"

Rachel slowly rises from her chair - her muscles are so stiff from sleeping in the damn thing - and joins him beside the pictures. They're her favorite thing about her office. Her from last year with her protege/assistant Carol, her from thirty years ago with the Daily Days gang, her from 21 years ago with her newly born goddaughter and Chane who'd just given birth, and finally her from ten years ago sitting in front of a train station with Felix.

She smiles as she traces the faces in some of them. Some of her best memories hung on that wall. "So," she begins as she runs her finger over the baby, "what's Charlotte's new man like?"

"A rabbit. Pretty sure he's afraid of me." There's a hint of pride in Felix's statement.

Rachel crosses her arms and shakes her head. "You're going to make her a spinster."

He snorts. "Please, that'll be you."

Rachel starts to playfully hit him with her shoulder but before she knows it she's stumbling into him. Her vision goes a little blurry and there's a pounding in her head.

Luckily, his reflexes haven't dulled any in the past thirty years so he quickly catches her by the arms. Her hazel eyes lock with his brown ones for a moment and she almost believes that she can see worry in them. Then again it could just be her mind playing a trick on her.

He leads her over to the couch and sits her down. He takes a seat on the table in front of her. She shrugs her green blazer off and rolls the sleeves of her white blouse up. Suddenly, everything felt hot. She's had episodes like this over the past few months but she's not going to tell him that. Part of her thinks it's just age and fatigue but another part of her can't help but be a little frightened when it happens.

"Sorry," she begins, "I...I think it must have been a hot flash." She starts to laugh it off but suddenly Felix's hands are cupping her face, shutting her up. She can remember years back when his touch scared her, conjured up memories from The Flying Pussyfoot. Now, she just relaxes into it.

He's still a moment, looking into her eyes. Then suddenly he twists her head, not too gently, around back and forth, examining her. Finally, he pulls her face back to him and speaks, "You look really unhealthy."

Rachel wants to be mad at his comment but she's just not tough around him as she thinks. Plus, she kind of finds it comforting that he's even taken the time to check on her. So, she gives him a soft smile. "Well, most fifty-one-year-old women aren't the picture of health."

Felix looks like he's thinking about something important, perhaps wants to tell her what he thinks she should do but then he springs up as if he's had an epiphany. He claps his hands together and shouts, "Food! That's what you need!"

There's a childlike glow is in his eyes as he stares down at her, holding out his hand for her to take. A thought runs through her mind as she looks up at him. How did the last thirty years lead them to this? When did he go from the monster of her nightmares to the person she was closest to in this whole world? It was definitely a mystery.

Taking his hand, she let out a sigh. "That's the reason you came here, isn't it? Breakfast?"

Felix smirks as he hands her her coat from beside the door. "You know me too well, Rach."

Rachel shakes her head as she slips the coat on.

"Just don't expect me to pay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was probably just going to be a two shot about them going dress showing but then I really wanted to dive even deeper into their friendship and it's growth. So I've decided that this is going to essentially have two mirroring stories in it. One in the early years of their friendship and one in the later years of their friendship (especially because I've thought of so many like headcanons for their friendship at it's different stages). So I hope you all enjoy! In the next chapter we go back to 1931 and the dress shopping. Be warned that this story will jump around a lot in time (sorta like the novels!)


End file.
